HOW TO TRADE (How To Use Trade Chat + Forums)

INTRODUCTION

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When I started Path of Exile I had no idea how trading worked. Once I pieced it together the game became much more enjoyable. I was able to trade things I didn’t need for things I did need, and the act of trading became a meta-game that I’m really enjoying.

I think more buyers and sellers can only improve the economy so I put this together. I’m not an expert by any means, but I hope it helps you get started.

THE BASICS

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Open up chat by clicking the little speech bubble on the screen.
Click the dropdown menu and select Trade. This automatically takes you to trade chat.

To help you understand what’s being said here are some common abbreviations:

Start by right clicking the name of the seller, then select “whisper”.
Ask how much they want for the amulet.
Many people say “offer”. In which case you would offer them a price you think is fair.
Others simply tell you how much they want. These people are cooler, just sayin'.

-Haggling Phase

So let’s pretend the seller wants 1 chaos orb for it.
If you don’t have a chaos orb you could try offering the equivalent in something else, like 20 alts. (We'll get into currency exchange soon.)
If they’re ok with that then they’ll usually send you a party invite.
Note that most trading happens on Act I Normal in town.

-Trading phase

Now the seller will send you a trade request.
Drag and drop your 20 alts into the bottom box.
Wait for the seller to drop the amulet in the top box.
Run your mouse over the items and double check everything.
Then make the trade.

SELLING

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Figure out the price of an item by watching others try to sell or buy it. You can price it to move if you want to get rid of it fast, or hold out for the right buyer.

To link an item in trade chat open your inventory and then open trade chat. Hold CTRL + ALT + CLICK on your item.

Selling (as you might imagine) is basically the opposite of buying. Just remember a few things:

Most of your items aren’t worth trying to sell.
Whites are only good if they have 6 linked sockets.
Blue items are pretty much the same unless it’s a great roll or has properties that synergize well.
You have better luck with higher level 40+ rare items.
You’ll probably have the best luck selling uniques, rare gems and currency.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES

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Check out:
http://exilestats.com/ex/

This will give you a rough idea of what’s fair. The key words being "a rough idea". It's not set in stone.

FORUM TRADING

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Start by reading up on “RMT/External Trading Policy and Trade Rules/Tutorials” found here:

http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/98928

There’s an entire section in the forum index related to buying, selling and trading. Don’t be afraid to use it if that’s your thing. It all comes down to personal preference. Trade chat is like going to a yard sale and forum trading is more like looking through a catalog. They both have benefits and drawbacks.

If you'd like to look at my shop thread you can go to:

http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/868017

To find things you want more quickly and easily you can use:

poe.xyz.is

When you find something you like just send the seller a pm with your offer and schedule a trading time. If a player specifically asked to be messaged "in game" it probably means they don't want to go through the trouble of scheduling a trade and would rather just do it when they come online naturally.

If you don't know how to send a message, just go the notice board in a town, then go to the friends tab and type (We'll use me as an example) "TheSlickMachine" in the search bar. You'll be notified when I'm online and you can whisper what you'd like to buy.

SUGGESTIONS

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Don’t be afraid to haggle and don’t be afraid of hagglers. It’s the best part. This is especially true of trade chat. On the other hand, if you're looking at a forum thread and the seller doesn't seem like they're willing to negotiate then you're probably just going to annoy them, but who cares? It's the internet!
Be polite.
Try not to hold conversations in trade chat.
Don’t spam.
Stay out of other peoples business.
And remember that everything is only worth what someone is willing to pay.
Sometimes it’s better to spend an hour on trade chat than ten hours waiting for a drop.

Good luck.

Let me know if there’s any way to improve this. I typed it up pretty quick and once again I’m not an expert.

An alternative to putting up an offer is to say 'what do they usually go for' by asking that the seller is not tied to selling you it at that price and gives you something to work on,this mostly applies to uniques especially high value ones.

An alternative to putting up an offer is to say 'what do they usually go for' by asking that the seller is not tied to selling you it at that price and gives you something to work on,this mostly applies to uniques especially high value ones.

No, because then that's when you are ignored.

This entire thread - while trying to be helpful - is completely useless. These tips will help no one.

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Don’t be afraid to haggle

You should EXACTLY be afraid to haggle. Only haggle if you never want to be responded to again by the seller.

I mean, I'm sorry, but... The reality is, if your very first PM to a guy isn't your on-the-dot offer of exactly the overpriced amount they had in mind, you're being put on the chopping block.

And if you don't get ignored, you may wish you had been, as they start PM'ing you trying to edge you up and up on your offer until you're paying 50% more than you want to.